§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the resourcing and administrative arrangements for the secretariat dealing with the distribution of European structural funds in Scotland; on what date the independent secretariat was established; what is the number of full-time equivalent employees involved in its administration; and what 455W representations he has received from infrastructure providers and others in relation to the present arrangements. [19361]
§ Mr. Kynoch[holding answer 7 March 1996]: Of the seven structural fund programmes operating in Scotland, four are administered by programme executives. Infrastructure providers and others in areas with programme executives appear to be generally content with the arrangements; and any discussions about their operation have tended to focus on various detailed points. Details of the resourcing and administration arrangements for dealing with the funds in Scotland are as follows:
- Programme executives
- The Strathclyde European Partnership
- Established—June 1989
- Staff number—16 full-time equivalent—FTE
- Highlands and Islands Partnership
- Established—February 1994
- Staff number—eight FTE
- Eastern Scotland European Partnership
- Established—January 1995
- Staff number—8.8 FTE
- Dumfries and Galloway European Partnership
- Established—November 1994
- Staff number—3.5 FTE.